No, it was not in reference to the soaring heat index that rose above 90 degrees that sunny, steamy morning. What volunteers were actually marveling at was the condition of the river itself and its surrounding recreational park. The space was not free of the usual litter, such as discarded plastic bottles and fast food containers, and we ended up with fifty bags of trash and recycling and found some noteworthy items, including seven tires, a metal safe, a bicycle frame, a recycling bin with the recyclables still inside, and a large construction detour sign that if truly followed would have left you stranded in the middle of the Great Miami River.

Despite all of this, volunteers who had attended the previous years’ cleanups agreed that it really wasn’t that bad in terms of litter and overall cleanliness. I spoke with one gentleman who had been coming out since the first year we were out there. He recalled what terrible shape the river had been in just four years ago. This year we still had our work cut out for us, but there was a noticeable change in the area: the citizens of Dayton had taken notice of this great river resource right in their own backyard. We didn’t end up collecting as much trash as we had in the past and that’s a good thing because it means there was less to pick up. This was greatly encouraging for all our volunteers working in the heat that morning!